Disclaimer: Not mine, just playin' with 'em. Suing me would be completely pointless as I have no money but many ferrets………..

: Telepathic communication. I'm sure you would guess that, but hey…….

Feedback: Oh, God, yes. Pretty, pretty please. Pretty please with naked Wolvies on top?! Either on here or to andreaslaymaker@hotmail.com. But please be nice – this is my VERY FIRST fic and I have no beta!! (Any and all offers gladly and gratefully received…..!)

Big, whiskery werewolf kisses for those who have reviewed so far. Thanks, guys!

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Chapter 7

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Home Is Where Your Heart Is

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"C'mon kid, lighten up"

Stony silence.

"We'll be there in an hour or so. Cheer up, willya?"

A deep sigh. Oh good, that's the biggest reaction I've had all day. Here's hoping the next one isn't to jump out the window…

"You're thinking about her. Your mate."

My wha-?

"I'm not. And she isn't-"

He was interrupted by Smoke casting a pointed glance at his groin, then looking him full in the face.

"Maybe I am, then."

A satisfied snort. Then, a little timidly -

"So…you won't let me go then?"

"Nope. Anyway, what do you want back there?"

She didn't answer, curling herself up again and staring morosely at the road as it flashed by them. Logan began to get a peculiar feeling crawling up his back, lacing cold fingers around his spine and raising the hairs on the back of his neck.

It took him a while to identify it. It had been a long time since anxiety like that had compressed his chest, making it hard to breathe and tickling the edges of his consciousness with the urge to panic.

"Uuuuum…Smoke?" It had to be something to do with her. Her smell said so. She just tucked herself in tighter.

"Have you got any other…um…abilities? 'Cos now would be a good time to share."

"I'm not telepathic" she whispered.

What? So how had she communicated with him in her 'other' form? What about the dogs? And the gentle touch of her mind as she slept on the end of his bed?

He turned and flashed a brief smile at her.

"Don't be scared, darlin'. Just tell me. It'll be OK. I promise."

She took a deep breath.

"In the…when I was at the…well, you know…" she drifted into silence. Indeed I do know, thought Logan grimly. I was there too. Different location, same place.

"Well, they said I was a - " she frowned as she struggled to remember the words - "projecting empath. You know. Feelings."

"But I heard words!" he protested. She turned her head toward him and gifted him with a gentle smile; the first one he'd seen. It made her features oddly beautiful, in a way that reminded him, strangely, of Ororo.

"No. You created words out of feelings and pictures. The human brain does it so fast that it feels like words; some people get the impression of remembering words, of the phrases getting into their head without accessing their ears. Guess it wouldn't unnerve you; after all, you're used to telepaths. But some people…" she trailed off again, before giving a great sigh and continuing - "…think it's dangerous. Because I can influence how people feel."

"Oh."

"It's how I communicate with animals. It's how they communicate, after all; body language, feelings, pictures, nameless emotions…simpler and purer than people."

"'Cos people are a mess of conflicting emotions?" he supplied eventually, beginning to understand. She nodded silently, and a fat tear began to roll down her cheek.

"And I can feel them" she whispered.

"Look," he said, as gently as he could, "it won't be so bad at the mansion. Everyone there's used to telepaths, so their mental shields are pretty strong." He stopped, at a loss what to say next to comfort her.

"No such thing as an emotional shield, though, is there?"

Logan thought about this.

"I don't know. But the professor will. When we get there, I'll take you straight to him; you'll like him. He'll be able to help you."

Her only reply was to bury her head in her arms and shake. He patted her on the back awkwardly.

"Come on, darlin'…I need you to be brave. You can be brave for me, can't you?"

She looked up at him again to give him a rather weak, watery smile.

"For you? OK. I'll try."

"That's great. Remember that. And best you brace yourself, kid, 'cos we're here."

The big gates swung open to reveal the long drive, curving gracefully up to the mansion. Home. Unfortunately, Logan was so wrapped up in enjoying the feeling, he didn't notice his charge beginning to fidget and fling hunted glances around her. Oh, he knew his animal side was yammering at him, but assumed it was yelling about Marie - as usual - and ignored it. Pipe down in there!

By the time he pulled up, a small crowd was starting to gather. At the forefront, the face he'd missed the most. As he flung the door open, she was the first one to greet him, big smile wreathing her features and wearing - oh, God! - a heavy coat to keep out the chill over a tiny bra top and shorts. Musta been workin' out.

"Marie! Hi, kid."

"Logan! Sugah! Didja bring me something nice?" Big hug. None too sisterly, either. He held her tightly to himself for a few seconds longer than necessary; must get round to telling her about the whole 'mate' thing, he thought absently as he inhaled her familiar scent.

"New playmate…"

Logan

Hi wheels.

Your truck -

The telepathic conversation got no further, as an explosion promptly went off behind him.

He had, of course, left the drivers door open. Jubilee - closely followed by the Cajun - had bounded over to say 'Hi!' to the new mutant in their midst. Smoke had, as soon as Logan had left her side, shifted back into the form she felt most comfortable in. So Jubes, instead of being met by the sight of another human, saw instead a large, dangerous looking animal. Growling at her. So she shrieked.

"Gawd! What's that thing?!"

Gambit, ever trying to impress the girls, produced a super-charged card and flung it at the beast. Luckily for him, it missed, merely blowing the screen to hell; even luckier, so did Smoke as she sprang straight out of the cab at her attacker. She almost didn't - only her confusion after the explosion made her shred his sleeve on the way past instead of his throat.

Bedlam.

Students yelling and running. Gambit and Jubes flinging explosive cards and firecrackers around with no thought as to where they were going. Tendrils of ice and fire roaring between people in an attempt to tag the elusive beast. Smoke bellowing and slashing at people with her teeth as she tried to escape the throng of screaming people. Rogue clutching at Logan in fear, who stared blindly at the scene with only one thought running through his brain -

Oh, shit.

Logan grabbed Rogue's hand and began to run towards Smoke, whose panicked run had been temporarily halted by way of Jean's telekinesis. It wouldn't hold for long; even with her formidable mental control she couldn't hold Smoke's struggling body entirely still, and it was clear that the wild creature was going to break loose sooner rather than later.

The crowd that had originally turned up out of curiosity were steadily converging on the two silently struggling figures - and they had the eerie look of a lynch mob about them.

"Wh-? Sugah, what is that thing?!" Marie demanded breathlessly as Logan charged through the mass of bodies, carving a path with sheer bodyweight.

"She's no thing, she's a person, she trusts me and I think she trusts you, and we need to stop this!"

And that's why she's my Marie, he thought grimly as she didn't stop to ask questions or demand an explanation, but took him at his word and began to help him ram a path through to the stalled Smoke. She don't argue in a crisis, she does what's needed, she's tougher than an old boot and she'll kick my ass later - hope Smoke recognises her…

"Jeannie! Let her go!"

"Are you crazy? It's dangerous! I won't let it endanger - " Jean had drawn herself up to her full height as she began to argue with him.

I don't have time for this. Wheels!

Logan came the instant reply are you sure that -

Yes! Get Jeannie to do as she's told!

Abruptly, Smoke fell the few feet to the ground with a grunt, and immediately began to race for the woods.

"NO!" roared Logan, hoping like hell he still had alpha male status - and she was still listening.

Apparently he did, for she pulled up and spun around to face him, jaws leaking foam as she gasped harshly for breath. The various burns and injuries inflicted on her were healing; but there was a particularly nasty burn along her left flank that was still oozing blood. For that, he decided, Gumbo was going to pay dearly. However, they still weren't out of the woods - so to speak, he thought wryly - as she was pacing slowly backwards, away from him. He could feel whatever link they shared being stretched thinner, thinner…and it couldn't be long before it snapped. And then she would be lost forever.

"Don't do this."

Pictures in his mind of him talking about his friends. About how good, gentle and accepting they were. Then the pain and fear of being attacked. In other words I trusted you!

"You just startled them. Please. They didn't mean it."

More jumbled images of pain and betrayal, and he couldn't honestly disagree with them. He flicked a quick glance at Marie; he'd run out of options. She squeezed his hand, took a deep breath and stepped forward.

"Honey?" she spoke quietly, with a relaxed drawl, and slowly began to approach the terrified mutant, "they won't hurt you again. Or the Wolverine will have them for breakfast."

Smoke's breathing began to slow, and her ears began to lift up from their position flat on her head.

"You trust him, don't you?"

There was a single, frozen moment when it seemed the whole world held its breath. Smoke, Logan and Marie would never forget this particular scene; the three of them held in perfect equilibrium in the pale winter sunlight while fate decided where the three of them would go next.

Smoke stopped backing away, and looked him straight in the face. Her stance softened, and her eyes lost the white rims; all the body language signalled acceptance. Marie sighed softly.

"What's your name, sweetheart?"

An image of white smoke drifting through the dappled sunlight of the forest.

"Smoke?"

You got it quicker than HE did

"Yeah, but he can be dumber than a box of rocks sometimes…"

Mental feel of amusement.

"So, you comin' in then? Comin' home with us?"

To every one's amazement, Smoke walked calmly forward and stopped directly in front of Marie. Gently, disbelievingly, she gently ran her hands through the beast's soft coat and smiled at her.

"You'll be OK" she whispered into a furry ear, "We'll take care of you."

I trust you. You are HIS mate. I trust him. I will come

Logan had to grin at the sight of tall, beautiful Marie walking back towards him with the grace of a cat, accompanied by an enormous wolf creature who moved with equal loose-limbed freedom. What a pair. But when they drew level with him and he turned to join them, he almost tripped when Marie - without breaking stride or moving her lips - hissed:

"Mate?"

"Ah…"

"Sugah, we need to talk."

Still wearing a slightly strained smile, he fell in behind the two as they entered the huge front doors of the mansion, with the rest of the crowd still watching in utter, shocked silence.